Singlehandedly operated dispenser for rolled sheets of paper

ABSTRACT

The present invention refers to the singlehandedly operated dispenser for rolled sheets of paper for perforated and unperforated paper sheets alike. The spindle with roll of paper placed over-handedly is moving down and against the back wall along the chutes in the form of elongated slots, grooves or tabs in side walls and providing continuous contact of the outside surface of the paper roll with the back wall covered by antiskid layer, and thus keeping the roll of paper immobilized and in fixed position against the back wall, and preventing run-off when the amount of paper on the roll is getting smaller. Drawing sheet of paper upward from the roll disengages the roll from the back wall, while drawing downward increases engagement of the outside surface of the roll with back wall that allows separating the required length from the roll leaving previously separated edge on top of the roll for easy access at next draw.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to dispensing singlehandedly the exact amount of sheets of rolled foils and papers, like paper towels and toilet paper, for use in household and for wrapping paper, art paper, and similar rolled materials for industrial and commercial use.

2. Description of Related Art

Search for effective method to separate desired length of rolled material is well documented by the consecutive applications. Each attempt lacks whole solution for the problem and fails at separating material in unperturbed way, and to work well without additional restrictions in respect of the quality and kind of rolled material, especially while using one hand for drawing desired length of material from the roll.

In applications where the rolls of paper are pre-perforated in production process, paper holders are equipped with attachments restricting free spin of the paper roll but fail towards the end of use when paper on the roll depletes and two hands are required to separate the paper from the roll.

In industrial environment, where the rolls of material are large and heavy, dispensing the length of paper from the roll requires both hands. The apparatus that assures undisputable safety of the operator in contact with cutting edge and can be operated singlehandedly in dispensing paper from a roll irrespectively of the roll's size will be an improvement in the art.

Other applications utilizing electronically controlled dispensing operation are inconvenient and impractical in home environment, taking space, energy, and financial resources. Such dispensers do not operate without electrical power and the roll is completely immobilized inside the container without possibility to reach the material by hand during power shortage. The applications that allow also manual dispensing without power supply are failing in holding the roll of material in stationary fixed position for effective dispensing and eventually require the use of both hands. Apparatus protecting cutting sharp edge, holding roll of material in fixed stationary position and allowing separation of the desired length without incorporating electrical power while using one hand, would be an improvement in the art.

Rolls of paper towel and toilet paper usually perforated while pulled by one hand unwind uncontrollable or even run completely off the dispenser. Whereas dispensers for paper towels take counter space in the kitchen and fail to work correctly. While at the beginning of the roll it is possible to draw only one sheet after fumbling for the edge of previously torn towel, at the end of the roll, when the diameter of the roll is reduced, the said dispenser is not functioning at all. Finding and addressing a common conformity of all paper rolls irrespectively of physical characteristics would allow to construe an apparatus that will be an improvement in the art of dispensing of rolled material.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses common conformity for various rolled materials from initially perforated, like paper towels and toilet paper, to continuous and unperforated for industrial use like rolls of lining, packing or wrapping papers, and discloses preferred embodiment of the apparatus for the storage and dispensing controlled lengths of rolled materials with different physical characteristics while using one hand.

Successful solution for dispensing apparatus for all types of rolled paper has to address the following common requirements:

-   -   store and assure reliable dispensing operation of paper from the         roll;     -   control rotation of paper roll to prevent unwinding and spinning         while pulled;     -   hold the roll in fixed position during separation of desired         length of paper from the roll;     -   keep the full width of previously separated paper easily and         safely accessible irrespectively of the amount of paper         remaining on the roll;     -   separate desired length of paper that is not originally         perforated in manufacturing process from the roll.

It would be also beneficial to place the dispenser off the working space depending of preference or necessity.

Apparatus disclosed hereby utilizes chutes, stoppers, and spindle to control operation and position of paper on the roll. The dispensing apparatus has a back wall and two side extensions perpendicular to the back wall in the same direction. Stoppers and chutes are derived either from cutouts in side extensions or made by extending inward peripheral edges of inside faces of side extensions. Chutes that are tilted to the ground in 45 degrees allow paper roll on the spindle to glide gravitationally down and always to rest against the back wall, while stoppers located at the top end of chutes prevent separation of the spindle from the dispenser when paper is excessively pulled too far out.

Dispenser's base has back wall that is covered with antiskid layer to enhance interaction of the paper surface with back wall during separation of desired length of paper. Peripheral edges of lower corners of side extensions are substantially chamfered in 45 degrees angle while leaving the remaining upper corners of peripheral edges untouched.

Inner cutouts in side extensions are opened at the top edges and by following the shape of peripheral edges in a distance the inner cutouts form top vertical parts that work as stoppers, and parts tilted down in 45 degrees to the ground work as chutes. Chutes and stoppers can also be made as additions to the inner faces of side extensions that follow the configuration of peripheral edges where chutes are tilted to the ground in 45 degrees and where stoppers are vertical.

For dispensers with chutes and stoppers that are made as cutouts in the side extensions, size of paper roll determines the distance between the guides of side extensions, while distance from the stopper to the back wall is determined by largest diameter of paper roll on spindle with rolling ends placed over the chutes.

Spindles in cylindrical shape fit inside the core of paper roll and are always longer than the width of paper rolls, while flat peripheral round end faces are perpendicular to the axis of the spindle. Round end faces of the spindle always move glidingly alongside guides of the side extensions. Guides for chutes and stoppers formed by cutouts are the inside faces of side extensions and are called side guides. When chutes and stoppers are in the form of tabs or additions to inside faces of the side extensions, the guides are peripheral innermost edges or faces of chutes and are called inner guides. Spindles have three distinctive sections, with center section designated as paper roll holder, that is confined between two peripheral end faces, and with two peripheral rolling ends that for use with cutout chutes have smaller diameter than paper roll holder, while for use with tabbed chutes may have diameter smaller or equal to spindle paper roll holder, but peripheral end faces always move between the guides of the side extensions.

The spindle rolls gravitationally down and back along the chutes keeping outside layer of the paper on the roll either in rest or in separation position, always in contact with back wall with antiskid layer. While paper is pulled away from the roll, the spindle with paper moves up and away from the back wall along the chutes and allows drawing desired length of paper. Spindle with the roll of paper, when the draw stops, is falling down against the back wall where stays in fixed position. Pulling paper down causes the spindle to move closer against the back wall with antiskid layer that is blocking rotation of the roll, and the force of pull causes separation of the paper length previously drawn from the paper roll. Diameter of material being always definitely larger than diameter of the rolling ends in hereby disclosed apparatus has a conclusive impact on control of material rotation as material with larger diameter on the roll holds proportionally better against the back wall than rolling ends with smaller diameter holds against the chute irrespectively of the type, size, and physical characteristics of rolled material. The rolling ends tendency of moving along the chutes towards the back wall, causes interaction of material against the back wall, provides condition in which the roll stays fixed in contact with the back wall and thus constitutes the onehandedly operation of the dispenser. The edge of separated material is always accessible for the next draw while resting on the top of the roll.

Mounting perforations in dispenser's back wall are used for attachment of the apparatus to the vertical surface.

Although the base of apparatus in this disclosure is made as a cutout in sheet of stainless steel, there is no limitation in utilizing other materials including other metals, plastics, ceramics, marble, wood, Plexiglas or even glass as long as chutes and stoppers are distinguishably featured and work in unison with spindles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The numbering sequence of the drawings for the presently disclosed example of dispensing apparatus for rolled sheet of paper is based on relation to the main components of each application that function alike, although may have different dimensions depending of material of which they are made, and is consistent throughout, including views of parts and referenced assemblies, where parts are indicated by arrows while features of the parts are indicated by dots.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the dispenser base with cutouts in side extensions for toilet paper;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the dispenser base with cutouts in side extensions for paper towel;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the dispenser base with tabs at side extensions for toilet paper;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the dispenser spindle with smaller size rolling ends;

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of the dispenser spindle with full size rolling ends;

FIG. 8 is a schematic side view of the dispenser base and full paper roll on the spindle with smaller size rolling ends;

FIG. 10 is a schematic side view of the dispenser base with tabs and full paper roll on the spindle with smaller size rolling ends;

FIG. 11 is a schematic side view of the dispenser base with tabs and full paper roll on the spindle with full size rolling ends;

FIG. 12 is a schematic side view of the dispenser base with depleted paper roll and spindle with smaller size rolling ends during draw;

FIG. 13 is a schematic side view of the dispenser base with depleted paper roll and spindle with smaller size rolling ends during separation;

FIG. 19 is an isometric view of the toilet paper dispenser of substantial thickness with chutes and stoppers without tabs and spindle with smaller size rolling ends;

FIG. 20 is an isometric view of the substantial thickness paper dispenser with tabbed chutes and stoppers and spindle with full size rolling ends;

Drawings are provided solely for the purpose of illustration and they are not intended to limit disclosure to any or all of the exact details of the described embodiment, except being essential to explain structural functionality in provided disclosure for listing claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Use of actual terminology to describe exemplary and preferable embodiment of the dispenser in present disclosure as illustrated in FIGS. 1-20 is not intended to exclude any or other technical terminology or limit processes or shapes to describe similar products which may lead to the accomplishment of similar function and is limited only by the listed claims.

Referring to FIG. 1, example embodiment of toilet paper dispenser base 1 in isometric view illustrates parts common for all disclosed dispensers. Dispenser base 1 consists of rectangular back wall 11 with two side extensions 12 that protrude in the same direction in right angle from shorter edges of the back wall 11, and where peripheral lower corners of side extensions 12 have substantial chamfering in 45 degrees angle, while leaving the remaining upper lengths of peripheral edges untouched. Inner cutouts in side extensions 12 are opened at the top edges and follow the shape of peripheral edges in a distance to form top vertical parts that work as stoppers 122, and parts tilted down in 45 degrees to the ground work as chutes 121. Mounting perforations 112 allow installation of dispenser on the wall. Back wall 11 is covered with antiskid layer 111 to improve performance of the dispenser during separation of paper sheet from the roll.

Referring to FIG. 3, example embodiment of paper towel dispenser base 1 in isometric view has chutes and stoppers resulted from cutouts in side extensions 12 and while having all characteristics of toilet paper dispenser, dimensionally accommodates the size of paper towel rolls. Back wall 11 with mounting perforations 112 for installation on the wall has antiskid layer 111 for improving performance of the dispenser during separation of paper sheet from the roll.

Referring to FIG. 4, example embodiment of paper dispenser base 1 in isometric view has chutes and stoppers resulted from cutouts in side extensions 12 where peripheral edges protrude in right angle to the side extensions 12 and each protrusion faces the opposite side extensions 12 resulting in tabs, where top tabs work as stoppers 122 and tabs tilted in 45 degrees to the ground work as chutes 121. Edges of tabs work as inner guides 124 while inside faces of the side extensions 12 work as side guides 123. Mounting perforations 112 allow installation of dispenser on the wall.

FIG. 5 displays in isometric view an example embodiment of spindle 2 with rolling ends 23. Spindle cylindrical body fits inside the paper core and works as paper roll holder 21 that is always longer than the width of paper roll. Peripheral end faces 22 that are perpendicular to the axis of the spindle 2 work with guides 123 or 124 of dispensers. Rolling ends 23 have cylindrical shapes with diameters smaller than the spindle's cylindrical body of paper roll holder 21 and work with chutes 121.

FIG. 7 displays in isometric view an example embodiment of spindle 2 with diameter of rolling ends 23 equal the diameter of the paper roll holder 21 that fits inside the paper core of the paper roll 3 where paper roll holder 21 is always longer than the width of paper roll 3, and spindle's peripheral end faces 22 that are flat and perpendicular to the axis of the spindle 2 provide gliding surfaces to move the spindle 2 glidingly between the side guides 123 of dispensers, while rolling ends 23 are moving along chutes 121 being tabs.

FIG. 8 illustrates in side view an example embodiment of dispenser assembly consisting base 1 with side extensions 12 and spindle 2. Cylindrical paper roll holder 21 of the spindle 2 fits inside the paper roll 3, while peripheral end faces 22 of spindle 2 move glidingly between the guides 123. New paper roll 3 on the spindle 2 rests at the top of the chutes 121, and against the back wall 11. While diameter of paper roll 3 is getting smaller, spindle 2 moves down along the chutes 121, providing continuously contact of the back wall 11 with the outside surface of the paper roll 3, from full size paper roll 3 to paper core. Distance of stoppers 122 from the back wall 11 is longer than radius of the full paper roll 3 plus radius of the rolling end 23 of the spindle 2, while distance of bottom ends of chutes 121 is shorter than the diameter of the paper roll holder 21 of the spindle 2.

FIG. 10 illustrates in side view an example embodiment of dispenser assembly consisting base 1 with tabs and spindle 2. Cylindrical paper roll holder 21 of spindle 2 fits inside the paper roll 3, while peripheral end faces 22 of spindle 2 move glidingly between inner guides 124 of the chutes 121. Rolling ends 23 of spindle 2 that have smaller diameter than paper roll holder 21 move down along chutes 121 that continuously provide contact of the back wall 11 with the outside surface of the paper roll 3 from full size paper roll 3 to the size of paper roll holder 21 of spindle 2. Distance of stoppers 122 from the back wall 11 is longer than radius of full paper roll 3 plus radius of rolling ends 23, while distance of bottom ends of chutes 121 from back wall 11 is shorter than the diameter of the paper holder 21 of spindle 2.

FIG. 11 illustrates in side view an example embodiment of dispenser assembly consisting base 1 with tabs and spindle 2. Cylindrical paper roll holder 21 of the spindle 2 fits inside the paper roll 3 while peripheral end faces 22 of spindle 2 move glidingly between side guides 123 being inner faces of side extensions 12. Peripheral end sections of the spindle 2 being rolling ends 23 and having the same diameter as paper roll holder 21 move on top and along chutes 121 that continuously assure contact of the back wall 11 with the outside surface of the paper roll 3 from full size paper roll 3 to the size of spindle 2 with paper core. Distance of stoppers 122 from the back wall 11 is longer than a sum of radiuses of full paper roll 3 and rolling end 23 of spindle 2, while distance of the bottom end of the chute 121 from back wall 11 is shorter than the diameter of paper roll holder 21 of spindle 2.

FIG. 12 illustrates in side view dispenser with cutouts in side extensions 12 in draw configuration. Drawing paper sheet 31 upward disengages the roll 3 from the back wall 11 and allows paper to unwind. When paper sheet 31 is excessively pulled, the stoppers 122 prevent disconnection of the paper roll 3 with the dispenser base 1. Whenever drawing of paper sheet 31 stops, the paper roll 3 rolls back along the chutes 121 and rests against the back wall 11 covered with antiskid layer 111 till next draw.

FIG. 13 illustrates in side view dispenser with cutouts in side extensions 12 in separation configuration. Pulling paper sheet 31 downward increases engagement of the paper roll 3 with back wall 11 covered with antiskid layer 111 and allows to separate previously drawn paper sheet 31 from the roll 3 irrespectively of remaining amount of paper on the roll 3.

FIG. 19 illustrates in isometric view an example of the paper dispenser that is formed in alternative production process like injection, casting or machining, and is adequate to the dispenser with inner cutouts in side extensions 12 of back wall 11. Top vertical parts that work as stoppers 122 and parts tilted down in 45 degrees to the ground work as chutes 121. The spindle 2 with peripheral end faces 22 move between the side guides 123 that are the inner faces of chutes 121, while rolling ends 23 carry the spindle 2 along the top of chutes 121.

FIG. 20 illustrates in isometric view an example of the paper dispenser that is formed in alternative production process like injection, casting or machining with side extensions 12, where peripheral edges protrude in right angle to the side extensions 12, and each protrusion faces the opposite side extensions 12 resulting in tabs for use with spindle with rolling ends 23. Top tabs work as stoppers 122 and tabs tilted in 45 degrees to the ground work as chutes 121. Edges of tabs work as inner guides 124, while inside faces of the side extensions 12 work as side guides 123. Mounting holes 112 and antiskid layer 111 are placed on back wall 11.

The above embodiment of the invention of the dispenser for rolled paper assembly, in which the scope of the invention being described and illustrated hitherto, is determined only by the appended claims, therefore variations in the materials and techniques utilized in construing the apparatus, when obvious and known by the person knowledgeable in the subject, deems invention valid. 

What is claimed is: 1.-20. (canceled)
 21. A dispenser apparatus for singlehandedly dispensing a desired length of a rolled paper from a paper roll, comprising: a. a dispenser base with a flat rectangular back wall of a width predetermined by a width of said paper roll, wherein two side walls are protruding from both shorter sides of the said back wall in the right angle in the same direction, wherein said back wall provide an attaching means allowing to place said base on a vertical surface, wherein each said side wall has a chute means to move said paper roll down and against said back wall, and wherein each said side wall has a stopper means to allow a full size of said paper roll to fit and freely rotate inside said dispenser base, and also to prevent disconnection of said paper roll from said dispenser body when the paper is drawn up from said roll with excessive force, wherein said chute means and said stopper means are either added, cut, formed, carved or machined as tabs, grooves, or slots in various materials ranging from metal, plastics, wood or glass and ceramics; b. an antiskid layer incorporated into said back wall of said dispenser base, whereby said antiskid layer immobilizes the roll of paper whenever said paper roll interacts with said back wall; c. a spindle comprising a cylindrical body of a paper holder that fits inside a core of said paper roll placed over-handedly on said paper holder, wherein axles are placed at the ends of said paper holder, wherein said axles are fixed or removable, and wherein diameters of said axles are smaller, or equal the diameter of said paper holder, and wherein the lengths of said axles are predetermined by a size of said chute means, whereby said spindle moves along said chute means.
 22. The dispenser for rolled paper of claim 21, wherein said chute means of said dispenser base are formed as grooves in said side walls or tabs that extend inward towards each other, and wherein said grooves or said tabs are tilted downward to said back wall while opened at the top edge of said side walls, whereby spindle means, having either fixed or peripheral axles, and said chute means assure single-handedly dispensing of sheets from rolled paper.
 23. The dispenser for rolled paper of claim 21, wherein said chute means of said dispenser base are formed as closed elongated cutouts that are tilted downward to said back wall, whereby spindle means, having removable axles, and said chute means assure single-handedly dispensing of sheets from rolled paper.
 24. The dispenser for rolled paper of claim 21, wherein said spindle means with said paper roll placed over-handedly moves gravitationally along the said chute means and keeps an outside surface of said paper roll immobilized against said antiskid layer of said back wall independently of an amount of paper remaining on said roll, wherein downward pull on length of said rolled paper causes said paper roll to move farther down along the chute means and closer to said antiskid layer of said back wall, increase friction between said paper and said antiskid layer of said back wall and thus eliminate rotation of said paper roll, whereby said increased friction constitutes singlehandedly dispensing operation, and wherein an edge of said paper remaining on said roll stays on top of said paper roll being easily accessible for a next draw. 